PURELY MEDICINAL? Alf Wight’s first serious attempt at writing a novel, based on his years of veterinary experience, began in 1965. But it was another five years before the first of eight books (If Only They Could Talk) hit our bookshelves. Writer Alan Veale discovers how James Herriot’s stories continue to influence our health and well-being
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once subscribed to Reader’s Digest. Every time that slim volume dropped through the letterbox, the first page I would look for was entitled ‘Laughter is the best medicine’. There I would enjoy the lighter side of life in the form of jokes pulled from worldwide sources. Around the same period, I also discovered James Herriot. That first encounter actually took place at the cinema, where the image of actor John Alderton with his arm up a cow’s backside would stay with me forever. But it also led me to the books. Goodbye Reader’s Digest! Sadly, we lost Alf Wight to cancer at the age of 78 in 1995. But his son and daughter,
ONE OF THE GREATEST LEGACIES HE HAD WAS PEOPLE WROTE TO HIM, HAVING READ HIS BOOKS AND THEY SAID IT MADE THEM FEEL BETTER
Jim Wight and Rosie Page, inherited their father’s passion for the Dales. They still live nearby and Jim has strong views on the enduring impact of his father’s stories: “One of the greatest legacies he had was people wrote to him, having read his books and they said it made them feel better. People on hard times, people distressed, still send letters to my sister and I, almost thirty years after his death, to say that reading his books is therapeutic.” Engineer Roger French agrees: “Shakespeare and Chaucer held little appeal for me at school, but when I received the first Herriot book for my birthday, I was totally captivated.” He’s been hosting a blog about James Herriot for the last three years, which might seem an unusual interest for a man with a technical background. But to Roger there’s a huge appeal in those deceptively simple stories. “I still read the books now, especially when I feel miserable. The warmth, laughter and wisdom just flow out from the